Top-fill hummingbird feeder with float valve base closure mechanism

ABSTRACT

A top-fill hummingbird feeder is provided having a liquid container with a liquid flow opening at a lower end and a removable cap at an upper end, a feeding basin positioned below the liquid container, and a valve or sealing mechanism associated with the liquid flow opening and the feeding basin. The feeding basin includes an upwardly extending cylindrical well that receives the lower end of the liquid container, and the valve or sealing mechanism includes a float valve associated with the well. The feeding basin is filled by gravity feed of the liquid in the container through the liquid flow opening when the sealing mechanism is open. When the feeding basin reaches a full position, the liquid nectar raises the float valve which, in turn, acts to close the liquid flow opening.

This is a continuation application of U.S. application Ser. No.12/591,289, filed Nov. 16, 2009 now abandoned, which claimed thepriority of co-pending U.S. Provisional application Ser. No. 61/202,508filed Mar. 6, 2009, the priority of which is hereby claimed.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

The present invention is related to the field of bird feeders and, moreparticularly, to top-fill hummingbird feeders.

2. Description of the Related Art

People who live in an area inhabited by hummingbirds frequently try topromote their presence by the use of hummingbird feeders. Hummingbirdfeeders differ from ordinary bird feeders because hummingbirds feed onnectar or simulated nectar, which are liquid, instead of the dry foodconsumed by most birds. Simulated nectar is typically formed from watersweetened with sugar or honey. In many hummingbird feeders, the nectar(or simulated nectar) is stored in a reservoir and conveyed to simulatedflowers where a perch may be provided so that the hummingbird can landand, having a long, slender beak, insert it into the access apertures inthe simulated flower and feed.

Most hummingbird feeders have one of two basic designs. One includes aninverted top container which empties into a lower reservoir or feedingbasin from which the birds feed. The vacuum at the top of the container(or put another way, the outside air pressure) keeps the liquid in thetop container from draining out too rapidly. The other common feederdesign consists of a container with holes in its cover through which thehummingbirds reach to feed. This latter style of feeder suffers from theproblem that it must be refilled very often, because the level of foodis constantly being reduced by the feeding.

The so-called “vacuum-type” feeders also have problems. For example,they can only be filled by dismantling the feeder and removing the topcontainer from its feeding position. Ordinarily, the consumer mustinvert the feeder in order to refill it, with the attendant risks ofspillage, and requires a certain amount of manual dexterity to createthe necessary vacuum. Moreover, because a vacuum is required, thesedesigns are limited to a single opening for filling and cleaning. Thisopening is typically small, which restricts access to the interior ofthe container and makes it more difficult to effectively clean thecontainer. Additionally, vacuum feeders can corrode or be inefficient,permitting the nectar to leak and creating an increased risk of insectcontamination.

One product which has been available in the market is the Garden SongTop Fill Hummingbird Feeder from Opus Incorporated. The Opus feederincludes an upstanding liquid container with a large top opening and asmall cylindrical lower opening which is screw-threaded into anupstanding cylindrical collar positioned in the center of a feedingbasin or liquid tray. The top opening is closed with a cover that sealsthe container to create a vacuum as the liquid level recedes downwardlyin the container. An internal, rotatable ring or valve mechanism has anupstanding cylindrical wall which surrounds the cylindrical collarinside the feeding basin.

The wall of the cylindrical collar has a plurality of ports, and thecylindrical wall of the rotatable ring has a plurality of correspondingopenings. When the openings in the rotatable ring are aligned with theports of the collar using an externally accessible lever, nectar canflow out of the container lower opening, through the aligned ports andopenings, and into the feeding basin or liquid tray. When the rotatablering is rotated using the externally accessible lever, so that itsopenings are not aligned with the ports of the collar, the nectar flowfrom the container to the feeding basin is cut off. In this condition,the cover can be removed from the container top opening for (re)fillingthe container without nectar in the container flowing out through thecollar to flood and overflow the feeding basin or liquid tray. Thisdesign also permits the top opening to be large enough to facilitateeasy cleaning of the bottle.

There have also been modular designs for hummingbird feeders in which acommon functional feeding module is utilized in conjunction withchangeable decorative outer claddings. However, such prior arthummingbird modular feeders suffer the same drawbacks as discussedabove.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention is directed to a hummingbird feeder which includesa generally upstanding reservoir bottle or liquid container containing acolumn of nectar and having a large opening at its top end. A removabletop or cap is screw-threaded onto the top end to close and cover the topend opening. The top is vented to prevent a vacuum condition and allowatmospheric pressure to act on the column of nectar. The bottom of thebottle or container has a lower bottom opening, preferably in the formof a bottleneck-shaped cylindrical extension with external threads thatcan be screw-threaded into an upstanding well of a feeding basin thathas a plurality of feeding ports in a known arrangement. A generallycylindrical float valve positioned in the feeding basin well andfloating in the liquid nectar acts to close the bottleneck centralopening when the feeding basin is filled with liquid nectar to theprescribed level. When the level of liquid nectar drops, the verticalheight of the float valve within the basin is also lowered which allowsfluid from the container to flow through the bottleneck opening torefill the basin.

According to a first embodiment, the wall forming the cylindricalextension of the bottleneck converges radially to form a conical closurehaving a sloped outer surface. A small opening at the apex of theconical closure allows nectar to flow from the liquid container into thefeeding basin when the float valve, which has a central portionconfigured to engage the conical closure in a first position, is spacedaway from the sloped outer surface in a second position.

According to a second embodiment, the free or lower end of thebottleneck extension is provided with a seal plate having a smallcentral opening with conically tapered side walls. The float valve has acomplementarily tapered truncated conical projection that plugs thecentral opening when the valve rises to an upper position.

In a third embodiment, the cylindrical well is provided a flat sealingedge portion that surrounds a hollow center portion having an invertedtruncated conical shape with sloped sides. Contained and verticallymovable within the center portion is a plug that fits in sealingengagement with the sloped sides. The plug is mounted on a post whichinitiates vertical movement of the plug in response to a lever armcoupled at a first end to the post and at a second end to a float. Whenthe float is in a low position, the lever arm exerts sufficient force onthe post and the plug to lift them upwardly to open the hollow centerportion of the well so that nectar can flow into the feeding basin. Asthe float rises, and with it the second of the lever arm, the post andplug are allowed to move downwardly in response to liquid pressure inthe container to seal the hollow center portion.

Finally, in a fourth embodiment which is similar to the thirdembodiment, the well has a sealing plate with a generally cylindricalcentral hole. The plug has a post portion that is vertically movablewithin the hole, and an enlarged head that seals the hole when the plugis in its lowered position. As with the third embodiment, movement ofthe plug to open the hole is initiated by a float and lever mechanismresponsive to nectar level in the feeding basin.

In view of the foregoing, it is an object of the present invention toprovide a reliable, consumer-friendly hummingbird feeder having aliquid-holding container or bottle with a large open top for easy topfilling and cleaning of the container.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a hummingbirdfeeder in which the liquid-holding container or bottle does not have tobe inverted after filling and which does not rely on a vacuum conditionin the liquid-holding container or bottle to control the flow the nectarinto the feeding basin.

A further object of the present invention is to provide a hummingbirdfeeder with a liquid-holding container or bottle having abottleneck-shaped lower end with an opening that is received within anupstanding cylindrical well on the feeding basin and opened and closedby a sealing or valve mechanism in the form of a float valve positionedin the well.

A still further object of the present invention is to provide ahummingbird feeder in accordance with the preceding objects and oneembodiment, in which the bottleneck-shaped lower end of the container isprovided with a bottom having a cone-shaped surface and/or opening,preferably located centrally therein, to mate with a cone-shaped surfaceand/or projection on the upper surface of the float valve that closesthe opening when the liquid nectar in the feeding basin reaches aprescribed level.

An additional object of the present invention is to provide ahummingbird feeder in accordance with the preceding objects, in which acentering mechanism within the upstanding basin well keeps the floatvalve aligned with the opening in the bottom surface of the containerlower end.

Yet another object of the present invention is to provide a hummingbirdfeeder generally in accordance with the preceding objects and anotherembodiment in which the bottleneck-shaped lower end of the container isprovided with a bottom opening that is closed by a plug that isvertically moved by a lever arm and float mechanism coupled to the plugand responsive to nectar level in the feeding basin.

Still another object of the present invention is to provide ahummingbird feeder in accordance with the preceding objects, which hascomponents that can be easily manufactured from readily available andknown materials and that can be easily assembled for ease and economy ofmanufacture and easily disassembled and reassembled for easy cleaningand which will be sturdy and long lasting in operation and use.

These and other objects of the invention, as well as many of theintended advantages thereof, will become more readily apparent whenreference is made to the following description taken in conjunction withthe accompanying drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is an exploded side view of the components of a top-fillhummingbird feeder in accordance with a first embodiment of the presentinvention.

FIG. 2 is an enlarged sectional side view of the feeding basin, sealingmechanism and lower end of the liquid container of the feeder shown inFIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is an exploded side perspective view of the components of atop-fill hummingbird feeder in accordance with a second embodiment ofthe present invention.

FIG. 3A is a perspective view of the float valve as mounted in thecylindrical well of the feeder shown in FIG. 3.

FIG. 4 is a sectional assembled side view of the feeder shown in FIG. 3.

FIG. 5 is an enlarged sectional side view of the feeding basin, sealingmechanism and lower end of the liquid container of the feeder shown inFIG. 3, depicted in the open position.

FIG. 6 is an enlarged sectional side view of the feeding basin, sealingmechanism and lower end of the liquid container of the feeder shown inFIG. 3, depicted in the closed position.

FIG. 7 is an exploded side perspective view of the components of atop-fill hummingbird feeder in accordance with a third embodiment of thepresent invention.

FIG. 7A is a perspective view of the float valve as mounted in thecylindrical well of the feeder shown in FIG. 7.

FIG. 8 is a sectional assembled side view of the feeder shown in FIG. 7.

FIG. 9 is an enlarged sectional side view of the feeding basin, sealingmechanism and lower end of the liquid container of the feeder shown inFIG. 7, depicted in the open position.

FIG. 10 is an enlarged sectional side view of the feeding basin, sealingmechanism and lower end of the liquid container of the feeder shown inFIG. 7, depicted in the closed position.

FIG. 11 is an exploded side perspective view of the components of atop-fill hummingbird feeder in accordance with a fourth embodiment ofthe present invention.

FIG. 11A is a perspective view of the float valve as mounted in thecylindrical well of the feeder shown in FIG. 11.

FIG. 12 is a sectional assembled side view of the feeder shown in FIG.11.

FIG. 13 is an enlarged sectional side view of the feeding basin, sealingplate and bottleneck extension of the feeder shown in FIG. 11, withoutthe plug to show the hole in the plate.

FIG. 14 is an enlarged sectional side view of the feeding basin, sealingmechanism and lower end of the liquid container of the feeder shown inFIG. 11, depicted in the open position.

FIG. 15 is an enlarged sectional side view of the feeding basin, sealingmechanism and lower end of the liquid container of the feeder shown inFIG. 11, depicted in the closed position.

FIG. 16 is a perspective view of the container cap, as in FIG. 1, with avent hole formed therein.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

Although four preferred embodiments of the invention are explained indetail, it is to be understood that the embodiments are given by way ofillustration only. It is not intended that the invention be limited inits scope to the details of construction and arrangement of componentsset forth in the following description or illustrated in the drawings.Also, in describing the preferred embodiments, specific terminology willbe resorted to for the sake of clarity. It is to be understood that eachspecific term includes all technical equivalents which operate in asimilar manner to accomplish a similar purpose.

As shown in FIG. 1, a top-fill hummingbird feeder in accordance with afirst embodiment of the present invention is generally designated byreference numeral 10. The feeder consists of a reservoir bottle orliquid container generally designated by reference numeral 12, a feedingbasin generally designated by reference numeral 14, and a sealing orvalve mechanism generally designated by reference numeral 16. As shownin the enlarged view of FIG. 2, the sealing or valve mechanism 16includes a float valve 20 configured for engagement with the lower endof the liquid container 12.

The liquid container 12 has an upstanding neck 22 forming a largeopening 24 at its upper end 13 for easy filling and cleaning of theliquid container. The bottom of the liquid container forms a generallycylindrical bottleneck-shaped extension 26 with external threads 28 sothat it can be screw-threaded into the mating threads of a cylindricalwall 29 of an upwardly extending cylindrical well 30 of the feedingbasin 14. At the free end 32 of the bottleneck extension 26, thecylindrical wall 27 forming the bottleneck converges radially to form asealing wall or closure 40 having a sloped outer surface 41. At the apexof the conical closure 40 is a small central opening 42. The diameter ofthe central opening 42 is much smaller than the diameter of thebottleneck, as shown in FIG. 2, and preferably includes a downwardlytapering conical side wall 43.

A removable top or cap 50, secured in place such as by threads 54 thatmate with corresponding threads (not shown) inside the cap, closes offthe large opening 24 at the upper end 13 of the liquid container 12 whenthe cap is tightened. The cap 50 is vented to prevent a vacuum conditionand to allow atmospheric pressure to act on the column of nectar beingfed into the feeding basin from the container.

Preferably, the feeding basin 14 is generally circular in plan view andmay be made in two parts including a cover 60 and a base 62 molded ofsuitable polymer material. When the feeder is assembled, the cover 60and the base 62 are sealingly coupled to one another in any mannersuitable for sealingly joining plastic parts, such as by a threadedengagement, adhesive, or other known connecting mechanism, to form thebasin 14.

The basin cover 60 has a central opening 64 through which the bottleneckextension 26 of the container extends. The cover is also molded toinclude a plurality of openings 66 spaced around a periphery thereof forreceiving feeding ports 68. The feeding ports 68 preferably include anornamental part 70 to enhance the overall appearance of the feeder andincrease its attractiveness to the hummingbirds. In the preferredembodiment shown in FIG. 1, the ornamental part 70 resembles flowerpetals. The cover is also preferably formed with perches 72 to supportthe hummingbirds when feeding.

The upwardly extending cylindrical well 30 is preferably integrallymolded with the basin base 62, but it can be formed separately and thenattached to the bottom inner surface 74 of the base in any manner knownby persons of ordinary skill in the art to be suitable for sealinglyjoining plastic parts.

The base 62 includes a bottom 76 and a curved, upwardly directed basewall 78 that define a fluid holding area 88 of the base. The upwardlyextending cylindrical well 30 is preferably centrally positioned withrespect to the bottom 76 and projects above the upper wall 17 of thebasin 14. The wall 29 of the cylindrical well 30 has slots 93 at itslower edge which allow liquid nectar in the fluid holding area 88 tomove freely in and out of the well.

As shown in FIG. 2, the sealing or valve mechanism 16 includes a floatvalve 20 positioned inside the upwardly extending well 30. The floatvalve 20 has a float 90 and a spacing member 92. The periphery 91 of thefloat 90 conforms with, but is spaced slightly away from, the inner wall97 of the well 30, thus centering the float valve 20 in the well 30.Hence, with the float 90 floating on the surface of the liquid nectar95, the float valve 20 can move up and down with the level of the liquidnectar in the basin 14. The spacing member 92 keeps the float valve 20spaced at a minimum vertical distance or height above the bottom 74 ofthe basin base 62, regardless of the nectar level.

Preferably, the float 90 is generally cylindrical or disc-shaped toconform with the wall 29 of the cylindrical well 30. In its preferredembodiment, the float 90 has a substantially flat bottom surface 94 thatis coupled to or integral with the spacing member 92. The upper surface96 of the float has a central portion 98 that slopes downwardly towardthe center of the float 90 at an angle that substantially complementsthe sloped surface 41 of the conical closure 40 on the bottleneck 26 ofthe liquid container. At the bottom of the sloped central portion 98 ofthe float upper surface 96, an annular channel 89 is formed thatsurrounds an upwardly extending, tapered projection 99.

When the feeding basin 14 is full, the level of the nectar 95 raises thefloat valve 20 to bring it into abutment with the sloped surface 41 ofthe closure 40 of the bottleneck. In this position, the taperedprojection 99 is received within and closes the central opening 42 inthe closure 40, preventing further nectar in the container 12 fromflowing into the basin. As the feeder is thereafter used by feedingbirds, the level of nectar 95 in the basin 14 will drop. Since the floatvalve 20 rises and falls with the nectar level, the lowering of thenectar 95 creates a space between the surface 41 of the closure 40 andthe upper surface 96 of the float 90, once again allowing liquid to flowfrom the container 12 into the basin 14 through the opening 42 until thebasin is again filled so as to bring the upper surface 96 of the float90 into abutment with the sloped surface 41 of the closure 40. In thisway, the feeder basin is continually refilled by the quantity of liquidin the container.

To assemble the feeder from an empty state, the bottleneck portion 26 ofthe liquid container 12 is screwed into the internal threads 28 on thewall 29 of the cylindrical well 30, bringing the closure 40 to aposition near, but spaced above, the sloped portion of the float 90. Theliquid container is then filled through the open top thereof. As liquidnectar 95 enters the container 12, the nectar is permitted to flow intothe fluid holding area 88 of the feeder basin 14 through the centralopening 42 in the closure 40 and the slots 93 in the well 30. As thebasin fills up, the float valve 20 rises with the liquid level in thebasin until the sloped surfaces 41, 98 of the closure and the float arein abutment and the projection 99 on the float is fully inserted withinthe closure central opening 42. In this position, the opening 42 isclosed by the projection 99 and the abutment of the sloped surfaces 98,41 on the upper surface 96 of the float 90 with the lower surface of theclosure 40. The flow of liquid nectar into the basin is thus stopped andthe remainder of the container can be filled as desired. Thereafter, thecontainer can be topped off and/or refilled at any time, as needed, byopening the top thereof and adding additional liquid. The upwardpressure of the float valve 20 against the closure 40 once the basin isfull keeps too much liquid from entering the basin and overflowingtherefrom.

To disassemble the feeder for cleaning, the steps taken to assemble thefeeder are reversed. The container 12 is unscrewed from the well 30 ofthe basin 14 and both parts can then be washed in water, preferably withwarm soapy water, and then rinsed. Reassembly is then accomplished asdescribed above.

As already noted, the sealing of the closure opening 42 when the basin14 is full allows the container 12 to be refilled through the topopening without allowing fluid in the basin to escape through the feedports 66. This configuration greatly increases convenience to the useras compared with hummingbird feeders that have to be inverted forfilling in that inversion-fill feeders cannot be “topped off” withoutlosing all of the liquid nectar still in the base since the entirefeeder must be turned upside down to fill the reservoir and replace thebase.

A float valve style hummingbird feeder in accordance with a secondembodiment of the present invention is shown in FIGS. 3-6 and isgenerally designated by reference numeral 100. The feeder consists of areservoir bottle or liquid container generally designated by referencenumeral 112, a feeding basin generally designated by reference numeral114, and a sealing mechanism generally designated by reference numeral116 that includes a float valve 120 and a seal plate 122 configured forengagement with the lower end 132 of the liquid container 112.

A removable top or cap 150, secured in place such as by threads 154 thatmate with corresponding threads 155 inside the cap, closes off the largeopening 156 at the upper end of the liquid container 112 when the cap istightened. The cap 150 is vented to prevent a vacuum condition and allowatmospheric pressure to act on the column of nectar being fed into thefeeding basin from the container in the same manner as in the firstembodiment.

The bottom of the liquid container 112 forms a generally cylindricalbottleneck-shaped extension 126 with external threads 128 so that it canbe screw-threaded into the mating threads 127 of a wall 129 of anupwardly extending cylindrical collar 130 of the feeding basin 114,shown in FIG. 3A. The bottleneck extension 126 has an open lower end132, which is partially closed by the seal plate 122 when the bottleneckextension 126 is screw-threaded into the cylindrical collar 130 and itslower end 132 engages the periphery of the seal plate 122. The sealplate 122 is preferably made of any soft elastomer, rubber or otherflexible sealing material such as urethane, etc.

According to the second embodiment, the float valve 120 has a centralopening 71 through which the collar 130 extends. As can be seen in FIG.3A, the diameter of the central opening 71 is larger than the outerdiameter of the collar 130, leaving a space 77 between the inner wall 69of the central opening and the outer surface 79 of the collar 130. Thisspace 77 provides “wiggle room” so that the float, while captured by thecollar, is able to shift horizontally with respect to the collar. Thespace 77 prevents the float from potentially getting stuck or adheringto the collar outer surface 79 due to extended exposure to stickynectar. Adhering of the float to the collar would interfere with propermovement of the float in response to changes in nectar level.

The central opening 71 is spanned across its diameter by a bridge 73having a truncated conical projection 140 positioned in a centerthereof. The wall 129 of the collar 130 is split to form opposingchannels 75 that receive the bridge 73 as shown in FIG. 3A. Like thespaced relationship between the collar outer surface 79 and the innerwall 69 of the float central opening 71, the channels 75 are also widerthan the width of the bridge, leaving a gap 67 between the sides of thebridge and the inner faces 61 of the channels 75. The gap 67 ensuresthat the float has a degree of rotatability with respect to the well sothat the bridge does not become adhered to the channel inner faces 61.

The seal plate 122 has a central aperture 136 through which nectar inthe container 112 flows to fill the feeding basin 114 when the floatvalve 120 is in the open position shown in FIG. 5. The aperture 136preferably has a conical side wall tapering downwardly to complement theshape of the tapered truncated conical projection 140. The open positionis obtained when the level 138 of the nectar in the feeding basin is lowand the float valve 120, floating in the nectar, is also low so that theprojection 140 is spaced away from the opening 136 in the seal plate 122to form a flow channel 125. As nectar flows into the feeding basin 114,however, the level of the nectar and, in turn, the vertical position ofthe float valve 120 and the projection 140 on the bridge 73 thereof,rises until the float valve reaches its upper position at which pointthe feeding basin is “full”.

As shown in FIGS. 3 and 3A, the float includes a plurality of cutouts 81in spaced relationship around the outer perimeter 83 of the float. Whenthe float is captured by the well as shown in FIG. 3A, these cutouts areand remain vertically aligned with the openings 66 in the basin cover 60that receive the feeding ports 68, ensuring that the float does notobstruct access to the nectar by a feeding hummingbird.

In the “full” position shown in FIG. 6, the upwardly directed projection140 with the truncated conical shape extending from the center of thebridge 73 of the float valve 120 is received within the central aperture136 in the seal plate 122. The projection 140 thereby closes or plugsthe aperture 136 to prevent further flow of nectar from the container112 into the feeding basin through the flow channel 125.

An upstanding guide pin 142 is preferably positioned centrally in aprotrusion 144 at the base of the feeding basin 114 directly below thewell 130. The pin 142 is received within a bore 146 formed in the centerof the float valve 120 in order to laterally align the projection 140with respect to the aperture 136 during upward and downward movement ofthe float valve 120.

A float valve style hummingbird feeder in accordance with a thirdembodiment of the present invention is shown in FIGS. 7-10 and isgenerally designated by reference numeral 200. The feeder consists of areservoir bottle or liquid container generally designated by referencenumeral 212, a feeding basin generally designated by reference numeral214, and a sealing or valve mechanism generally designated by referencenumeral 216. The liquid container has a large opening at its upper endthat is closed by a removable cap in the same manner as in the secondembodiment and with corresponding reference numerals, and therefore adiscussion thereof will not be repeated here.

The bottom of the liquid container 212 forms a generally cylindricalbottleneck-shaped extension 226 with external threads 228 so that it canbe screw-threaded into the mating threads of a cylindrical wall 229 ofan upwardly extending cylindrical well 230 of the feeding basin 214, asshown in FIG. 7A. The bottleneck extension 226 has an open lower end 232configured to engage with and be sealed by the sealing or valvemechanism 216.

The sealing or valve mechanism 216 includes a float 240 connected by alever 244 to a seal assembly, generally designated by reference numeral242. The seal assembly 242 includes a plug 250 mounted on the upper endof a generally vertical post 252 positioned centrally within theupwardly extending well 230. The lever 244 is pivotally mounted at acentral part thereof by a pivot pin 254 to a base 260 of the cylindricalwell 230. A first end 256 of the lever 244 is received through a port245 in the side of the base 260 and is coupled to a lower portion of thepost 252. A second end 258 of the lever 244 is coupled to the float 240by a pivot pin 255.

The base 260 of the cylindrical well 230 includes a flat sealing edgeportion 262 that surrounds a hollow center portion 264 having aninverted truncated conical shape with sloped sides 266 (see FIG. 9). Thesealing edge portion 262 closes off the open lower end 232 when thebottleneck extension 226 is screw-threaded into the well 230. The plug250 has an inverted truncated conical shape complementary with that ofthe hollow center portion 264 so that the sloped outer surface 268 ofthe plug 250 fits in sealing engagement with the sloped side surface 266of the center portion 264 when the two are in abutment.

The plug 250 is vertically movable within the hollow center portion 264between an upper position (shown in FIG. 9) and a lower position (shownin FIG. 10) in response to vertical movement of the post 252 upon whichthe plug 250 is mounted. Vertical movement of the post 252 is initiatedby the position of the float 240 which, in turn, is determined by thefluid level 270 in the feeding basin 214. When the fluid level is low,as in FIG. 9, the float 240 is also in a low position. The weight of thefloat 240 combined with the mechanical advantage of the lever 244,provides enough force to lift the post 252 and the plug 250 against thefluid pressure in the container 212. In this upper position, the plug250 is pushed up from the hollow center portion 264 so as to be spacedtherefrom sufficiently to open a fluid flow channel 280 between theouter surface 268 of the plug 250 and the mating side surface 266 of thewell base center portion 264.

As the float 240 rises with the fluid level 270, the lever 244 pivots onpin 254 to allow the plug 250 to move downwardly to the lower positionshown in FIG. 10. In the lower position, the plug comes into sealingengagement with the side surface 266 of the well base 260, closing thefluid flow channel 280 and forming a seal so as to prevent additionalnectar from entering the feeding basin 214. Fluid pressure in thecontainer also helps to keep the seal closed.

A float valve style hummingbird feeder in accordance with a fourthembodiment of the present invention is shown in FIGS. 11-15 and isgenerally designated by reference numeral 300. The feeder consists of areservoir bottle or liquid container generally designated by referencenumeral 312, a feeding basin generally designated by reference numeral314, and a sealing mechanism generally designated by reference numeral316. The liquid container has a large opening at its upper end that isclosed by a removable cap in the same manner as in the second and thirdembodiments and with corresponding reference numerals, and therefore adiscussion thereof will not be repeated here.

The bottom of the liquid container 312 forms a generally cylindricalbottleneck-shaped extension 326 with external threads 328 so that it canbe screw-threaded into the mating threads of a cylindrical wall 329 ofan upwardly extending cylindrical well 330 of the feeding basin 314,shown in FIG. 11A. The well includes an inner flange having a generallyflat upper surface 333 that supports the sealing mechanism. Thebottleneck extension 326 fits within the well 330 and has an open lowerend 332 configured to engage with and be sealed by the sealing or valvemechanism 316.

The sealing or valve mechanism 316 includes a float 340 connected by alever 344 to a seal assembly, generally designated by reference numeral342. The seal assembly 342 includes a sealing plate 351 with a hole 349therein and a plug generally designated by reference numeral 350 movablymounted in the hole. The lower surface 353 of the sealing plate 351 isin sealing abutment with the upper surface 333 of the well flange 331 sothat, when the bottle is screwed into the well, the lower end 332 of thebottleneck comes into sealing engagement with the upper surface 381 ofthe sealing plate 351 and fluid can only escape from the bottle throughthe hole 349 in the plate 351.

The plug 350 includes a post 383 that extends through the hole 349 andan enlarged head 385 on the upper end of the post 383 above the sealingplate 351. The outer diameter of the post 383 is smaller than the innerdiameter of the hole 349, while the outer diameter of the head is largerthan the hole diameter so as to completely cover the upper mouth of thehole. The plug functions as a valve to close the hole 349. Specifically,gravity and water pressure 391 act on the upper surface 387 of the head385 to push the plug 350 downwardly and bring the lower surface 389 ofthe head into sealing abutment with the upper surface 381 of the sealingplate 351. When the plug is in this lower position, as shown in FIG. 15,fluid cannot flow through the hole 349.

The lever 344 is pivotally mounted at a central part thereof to a base360 of the well 330 by a pivot pin 354. A first end 356 of the lever 344is received through a port 345 in the side of the base 360 and extendsunder the plug 350. A second end 358 of the lever 344 is coupled to thefloat 340 by a pivot pin 355.

The plug 350 is vertically movable within the hole 349 between an upperposition (shown in FIG. 14) and a lower position (shown in FIGS. 12 and15) in response to vertical movement of the first end 356 of the lever344. Vertical movement of the lever first end 356 is initiated by theposition of the float 340 which, in turn, is determined by the fluidlevel 370 in the feeding basin 314 (see FIGS. 14 and 15). When the fluidlevel is low, as in FIG. 14, the float 340 is also in a low position.The weight of the float 340 acts on the lever 344, which pushes the plug350 upwardly against the fluid pressure in the container 312. In thisupper position, the plug 350 is pushed up such that the lower surface389 of the head 385 is spaced above the upper surface 381 of the sealingplate 351. This spacing exposes the hole and, since the outer diameterof the post 383 is smaller than the inner diameter of the hole 349,fluid is enabled to flow around the post and through the hole 349 tofill the basin 314. As is evident, the weight of the float must begreater than the weight of the plug and the fluid pressure in thecontainer 312.

As the float 340 rises with the fluid level 370, the lever 344 pivots onpin 354 to allow the plug 350, in response to gravity and fluid pressurein the container, to move downwardly to the lower position shown inFIGS. 12 and 15. In the lower position, the lower surface 389 of thehead 385 comes into sealing engagement with the upper surface 381 of thesealing plate 351, closing the hole 349 and forming a seal so as toprevent additional nectar from entering the feeding basin 314. As isevident, the float must have a buoyancy greater than its weight.

In all four of the embodiments described herein, a float valve is usedto control the amount of liquid nectar allowed to enter the feedingbasin of the top-fill hummingbird feeder. By venting the cover or cap 50of the container holding the liquid nectar in each embodiment,atmospheric pressure can be used to dispense the nectar when the floatvalve is open. When the feeding basin is full, the float in conjunctionwith the nectar level automatically prevents further filling of thefeeding basin. As such, overflow of the basin in response totemperature-related expansion of the air in the container from night today time periods is also prevented.

A representative location of a vent 15 in the cap 50 is shown in FIG.16. While the vent can be located anywhere in the cap, the location ofthe vent 15 under the support feature 11 used to hang the feeder, asshown in FIG. 16, is advantageous as the support feature 11 helps tominimize the entry of water and debris into the feeder which couldpotentially contaminate the nectar inside. A simple filter or screencould also be added to minimize entry of foreign matter such as dirt orinsects through the vent hole. In an alternative vent style, grooves orcuts may be formed in the cap threads to allow venting through the capthreads so that a vent hole is not necessary.

The foregoing descriptions and drawings should be considered asillustrative only of the principles of the invention. The invention maybe configured in a variety of shapes and sizes and is not limited by thedimensions of the preferred embodiment. Numerous applications of thepresent invention will readily occur to those skilled in the art.Therefore, it is not desired to limit the invention to the specificexamples disclosed or the exact construction and operation shown anddescribed. Rather, all suitable modifications and equivalents may beresorted to, falling within the scope of the invention.

What is claimed is:
 1. A top-fill hummingbird feeder comprising: aliquid container with a liquid flow opening at a lower end and aremovable cap at an upper end; a feeding basin positioned below theliquid container, said feeding basin having a cover with at least onefeeding port therein sized for a hummingbird's beak; and a sealingmechanism associated with he liquid flow opening of the liquid containerand the feeding basin, said sealing mechanism including a float valvewhich, when the float valve is in a first position, said liquid flowopening is open allowing fluid to flow from said container into saidbasin and, when the float valve is in a second position, said liquidflow opening is closed to prevent fluid flow from said container intosaid basin; said float valve including a float and a sealing member withsubstantially vertical movement of said float causing substantiallyvertical, movement of said sealing member, an outer edge of said floatincluding at least one cutout or recess that aligns with the at leastone feeding port in the basin cover so that the float does not obstructa hummingbird from accessing nectar in the basin by inserting its beakthrough the feeding port.
 2. The top-fill hummingbird feeder as setforth in claim 1, wherein said basin cover includes a plurality offeeding ports and the outer edge of said float includes a plurality ofcutouts spaced around a float perimeter to align with the plurality offeeding ports, respectively.
 3. The top-fill hummingbird feeder as setforth in claim 2, wherein said float and said sealing member are coupledto one another and move upwardly and downwardly together in response tochanging fluid level in said feeding basin.
 4. The top-fill hummingbirdfeeder as set forth in claim 1, wherein said cap has a vent hole tosubject liquid in said liquid container to atmospheric pressure duringuse of said feeder.
 5. The top-fill hummingbird feeder as set forth inclaim 2, further comprising an upwardly extending generally cylindricalcollar positioned in said feeding basin that receives the lower end ofsaid liquid container, said float having a generally cylindrical centralopening through which said collar extends, a diameter of the centralopening being larger than an outer diameter of the collar, leaving aspace between an inner wall of the central opening and an outer surfaceof the collar, said space enabling the float to move horizontally, saidfloat also being movable up and down with respect to said collar inresponse to changes in nectar level in the basin.
 6. The top-fillhummingbird feeder as set forth in claim 5, wherein said float centralopening is spanned across its diameter by a bridge, a wall of saidcollar being split on opposing sides to form a channel that receivessaid float bridge, a width of said bridge being less than a width ofsaid channel to leave a gap, said gap providing the float with a degreeof rotatability with respect to said collar.
 7. The top-fill hummingbirdfeeder as set forth in claim 6, wherein said sealing member ispositioned on an upper surface of a central part of said bridge and,through upward and downward movement with said float, cooperates with amating component positioned in said liquid container lower end to closeand open the liquid flow channel, respectively.
 8. The top-fillhummingbird feeder as set forth in claim 1, further comprising anupwardly extending generally cylindrical collar positioned in saidfeeding basin, said float having a generally cylindrical central openingthrough which the collar extends, a diameter of the central openingbeing larger than an outer diameter of the collar, leaving a spacebetween an inner wall of the central opening and an outer surface of thecollar, said space allowing the float to move horizontally with respectto the collar.
 9. The top-fill hummingbird feeder as set forth in claim1, wherein said sealing mechanism further includes a sealing platepositioned generally horizontally in said container lower end and havinga hole therein to provide a liquid flow opening through said sealingplate.
 10. The top-fill hummingbird feeder as set forth in claim 9,wherein said sealing member is positioned below said sealing plate andis vertically movable between an upper position and a lower positionrelative to said sealing plate.
 11. The top-fill hummingbird feeder asset forth in claim 1, wherein said liquid container includes abottleneck extension at said lower end and said sealing mechanismincludes a bottleneck seal member having an opening therethrough smallerthan said liquid flow opening to create a liquid flow channel smallerthan said liquid flow opening, said sealing member of said float valveconfigured for sealing engagement with said bottle seal member to closesaid liquid flow channel.